This is why we all need to get serious not only with our energy consumption, but with our choices in the way in which it is produced. Further, we can’t just simply wait for the power companies who produce energy to convert to solar, geo-thermal, or any other “green” means of production, we have to get into it ourselves. Becoming more energy eco-focused is what is needed. For this reason, some homes are now being built with certain energy eco-systems built in, such as geothermal systems which use heat pumps to extract heat from the ground, along with other built-in energy eco-systems such as solar panel arrays on rooftops, and precise placements of windows for the best benefits of lighting, heat and ventilation, as well as others.

Many prefabricated houses these days are being built with these and other energy eco-systems built right into them, with amazing results as far as the increased lack of impact on the surrounding environment. Some use only a third of the typical home’s consumption of energy, and others even much less. Living in homes built with these and other energy eco-systems in place not only saves the environment, due to their utter independence from fossil fuels, whether domestic or foreign, but also saves expense. Energy cost expenditure is phenomenally reduced when the proper systems are all in place, working harmoniously together.

Clearly, the more people who choose to be energy eco-conscious and make their homes to be those of this type, then the more of an effect of “erasing our carbon footprints” will be achieved. This may bring to mind the whole idea of “How can the doings of one person make a difference”, but what’s clear here is that the incentive to save your hard-earned money alone, and in such considerable quantities (or inversely, the incentive of not dumping your hard-earned money in considerable quantities out into the sky), is more than enough to get anyone involved. A person doesn’t have to be a hard-core “tree-hugger” to see the obvious benefits here, even to one’s personal expenses. Energy eco-sensibility is simply a no-brainer choice to make.

If you’re interested in learning more about energy eco-sensibility and other things related to alternative energy, then you’ve got to check out the EcoPlusHome project.

Bryan Kenny and his family are an average North American family with one exception…they’re living in the EcoPlusHome.

The EcoPlusHome is a prefabricated home powered by alternative energies like solar thermal, geothermal and photovoltaic. Bryan and his family will show the world that it is possible to live self sustained for a 12 month period by showcasing their journey living in the EcoPlusHome on their blog.

Bryan and his family welcome you to join their journey to self sufficiency on their blog http://ecoplushome.com/blog.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bryan_Kenny

The bamboo plants grow rapidly, even 4 to 5 feet per month, therefore they grow in very tall forests, and they are biodegradable. There are no contaminants added, and bamboo shades are processed in low emissions factories, so they are truly a “green” product. Add to that benefit their good looks, and they are a winner all around!

You will enjoy quiet contemplation as your eyes enjoy the beauty of bamboo shades. They are made by weaving sticks of natural bamboo into various patterns and styles. Privacy is provided, but with the interweaving, you can still have light enter the room, which highlights the patterns. If you want more privacy, you can order your window shades with a fabric lining. This helps you manage lighting but still allow light to enter the room. Room darkening blinds are also available, for complete privacy and light control.

A natural material, bamboo also looks wonderful when accented with room plants, and other natural decorations. Add a small water fountain, and you will have created your own tropical paradise right at home. The window shades can be a focal point in the room, or they can blend into the background, as you desire. They are a natural product, non-treated, and as such, will have interesting variations in color and patterns.

Most bamboo shades are in the horizontal style, but there are vertical ones available also. You can get roll up window shades, roll down shades, Roman shades (layered), and traditional matchstick styles. Patterns include braided, woven, tortoise shell, and wide slats. Their light-weight is an advantage when ordering through the internet to save on shipping expense.

Bamboo shades are available in many natural hues and some colors. They are easy to manage, and are controlled by a cord or continuous chain control system. Some even have motors to assist in balanced lifting. They are nice for newer neighborhoods where houses are large and lots are small, so you will obtain more privacy from close sitting neighbor homes. As a wood, the bamboo is also good for insulation effects, and heat control. You can get lower energy costs by keep hot sunshine out and winter heat in the room.

Vertical bamboo shades are nice for older homes, as they give them a more modern look, yet cover large old window spaces with style and protection. There is some noise control when they are completely shut. One nice benefit from this type of blind is that you can have privacy but still catch a meshed view of the outdoors. Window shades come with a top valance to cover the lift mechanisms.

EcoFriendly homeowners can choose bamboo shades for their natural beauty, and for their inherent contribution to earth friendliness. These shades are durable, to provide long lasting beauty with greater cost benefits in the long run. They are easy to clean, and with smooth surfaces, less dust is caught on the horizontal slats, and much less on verticals.

Bamboo shades are available in stock sizes and colors, or you can order custom sizes, lengths, designs, and colors. These excellent and hard working window shades look beautiful alone, or with added window shades and accessories. It is hard to go wrong with a product that is so right, and so environmentally beneficial. It is no wonder that the history and tradition of bamboo shades goes back for centuries.

Judith Persit works from her store in a design studio, which is planned beautifully. She writes articles about bamboo shades. Learn about window shades at her website.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Judith_Persit

As obvious as that statement is, people still treat Earth like there is another one on the back burner. The ocean levels are rising, the ice caps are melting and our ozone layer is disintegrating; we’ve left more of a carbon footprint in the last hundred years than the rest of history combined! The good news, however, is that the word “green” is becoming more ingrained in our social consciousness.

Thanks to environmental activists and supporters, the word “green” has taken on a whole new definition. Any attitude concerning “global environmental protection, bioregionalism, social responsibility” is considered green. The term has become a buzzword of sorts; restaurants, business, and manufacturers brandish the label to appeal to our ever-concerned society.

Every day, people are finding new ways to become environmentally-friendly, even investing in green furniture. Decorating your house furniture made from recycled materials is not only fashionable, but it reduces our carbon footprint and preserves our planet for future generations.

Bamboo is a very good material for green furniture. Technically a grass, bamboo grows quickly, it’s sturdy and it looks good in almost every interior. Plus, furniture made from bamboo doesn’t require any deforestation. Because you can lay it flat for flooring, mold it into furniture, or even cut it up to make blinds and window shades, bamboo has become the go-to material for environmentalists. Plus, there are very few pesticides involved during its production.

Trees make our planet livable. By absorbing carbon dioxide and converting into oxygen, they produce breathable air, which is why deforestation causes such an outcry. However, there are tree farms dedicated to the sole purpose of producing wood products; these trees are certified sustainable. The Rainforest Alliance, one of the largest certifier of sustainable wood, uses the industry-standard Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification, which makes it easy determine safe wood. Some staunch environmentalists forget that no matter what something is made out of, there are earth-friendly options, even wood. It is very easy to find wood furniture made from sustainable trees, just look for the FSC label or inquire at your local furniture store.

The Rainforest Alliance also certifies any type of furniture made from recycled material: The Rediscovered Wood Certification. Sustainable forests are good sources of lumber, but wood lasts a long time, especially if it’s taken care of. Reclaiming wood from old furniture makes more sense than using precious land to grow sustainable wood. Using old furniture, houses, and even drift wood are good examples of how innovative people have been in creating green furniture.

Green furniture also releases fewer toxins than synthetics. Many people don’t even consider this, but nothing in your house just sits there; everything produces airborne substances. Toxins released from furniture have been traced to birth defects and other health problems. Make sure that any new furniture you purchase has the Greenguard certification, which ensures the product has low toxicity.

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for Web sites on solar energy, parenting, fashion, and home decor. Her background also includes teaching, gardening, and health and fitness. For more of her useful articles on ecologically friendly furniture, please visit Green Furniture.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anne_Clarke

Here are some high-impact environmentally friendly kitchen design ideas:

o Kitchen Recycling Centre

Look for sets of kitchen bins that allow you to easily separate rubbish – paper, food, bottles, plastics, etc.

o Waste Disposal machines

These are ideal for reducing the physical amount of food waste down to small pieces. Then start a wormery where worms can compost down the food waste more efficiently. Use the compost on your garden.

o Energy-Efficient Kitchen Appliances

When considering your refrigerator, dishwasher or washing machine purchases for the kitchen remodeling project, each appliance will have an Energy Rating. Advanced technology now means that appliances can use 10 to 50 percent less energy and water than standard models

o Induction Hobs

Induction cooking uses electricity to produce a magnetic field that reacts with the ferric content in stainless steel, cast iron, and enameled steel cookware. This excites the molecules and produces heat. The cookware (and therefore the food) gets hot, but the stove-top doesn’t. Less heat is wasted and the food heats faster, saving time and energy. Induction cooking is about 90 percent energy efficient as compared to gas and electric radiant, which are 50 to 60 percent efficient.

o Dishwashers and Washing Machines

Use a full load in your dishwasher and washing machine. If you are thinking of buying a new machine, make sure you buy a water efficient model. Have a look at our website where we have collated more information on water efficient appliances.

o Stained Concrete or Indigenous Stone Kitchen Counter-tops.

Your kitchen design should include materials that are durable and water-resistant for both counter tops and splash-backs. Stained concrete uses non-toxic, natural pigments rather than surface-applied stains. Many types of indigenous stone are available and can come from salvage sources. Make sure they are adequately sealed to prevent staining.

o Energy-Efficient Task Lighting and Lighting Controls

Kitchen designs often include two or three light settings such as general, task lighting, and mood lighting. Maximize natural light wherever possible and low voltage systems for task and mood lighting.

o Eco-Friendly Kitchen Flooring

Products manufactured from renewable forests can provide you with a beautiful, affordable and durable floor – and an environmentally responsible choice. Bamboo, cork, and eucalyptus mature in roughly half the time (or less) that it takes hardwoods, grown in colder climates, to reach market size.

o Wall Insulation

Nothing improves the comfort and energy efficiency of a kitchen more than plenty of insulation in the exterior walls. To add insulation to existing kitchen walls, blow fibrous insulation material – fiberglass or natural materials like cellulose and mineral wool – into enclosed wall, floor and roof cavities. “Dense packing” the insulation inhibits air circulation within the cavities, thereby eliminating a major cause of condensation, moisture problems and air leakage.

o Kitchen Windows, Doors and Skylights

Well-designed windows and skylights can lighten the feel of a kitchen and save on fuel bills as well. Ensure the products used have low heat emission glass with solar shading, which increases the room’s comfort, protects items from sun damage and reduces condensation on windows.

Ian D Ludlow helps sales and customer service people and organisations in the business-to-business, direct sales and retail environments to improve their current performance.

As a Master Practitioner of NLP and Accredited LVT Practitioner, he uses fun and creative techniques to change unproductive behaviours and to help individuals and teams THINK FASTER and REACT QUICKER to ever changing market conditions.

He states, “If you carry on doing what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.” Ian’s specialism is knowing what to change and how to change it with minimum effort and maximum return.

Ian helped improve the average sales value for a retail business by 14% which added £34M in sales revenue over one year from 320 stores. He also helped increase the sales conversion ratio by 7% through quality sales training and lead generation programmes for a kitchen and bathroom installer; increasing sales by £24M over one year.

Ian D Ludlow can be contacted on +44 (0)1795 55 56 83 whilst his website is under construction.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ian_Ludlow

Many of us know what we like as soon as we see it, we are drawn and connect with natural products of beauty. We have in our minds eye of places we have visited or seen in pictures of far away places where the backdrop of decoration sets the theme of tranquility and peace with ones surroundings. Also too as many of us know the rigors of coping with allergies, not just from the foods we eat but the products which make up our everyday living space.

But where do we find the resources and know how to reconstruct our own surroundings to fit with these concepts. Firstly we may find natural wall finishes and decoration by looking back in time. Venetian plasters made from lime and marble for a good green alternative, easily sourced it has a highly breathable quality allowing for moisture to pass in and out. These finishes are tough too as they posses similar properties of strength as limestone and marble. They may be combine too with other easily sourced or recycled products. Decorative enhancements such as crushed shells and mother of pearl give a ever changing and intriguing appearance. Black sand too or the traditional terracotta, itself made from clay is collected from the waste of the roof tile industry.

So before looking for the furnishings and detail to finish a room, start with a new canvas. Deconstruct and then create a beautiful living space using natural organic elements and design from around the globe.

If you are interested knowing more about Polished Plaster or Venetian Plaster please look at our site.

Find more about the author John Holmes on http://www.polished-plaster.co.uk

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_E_Holmes

Focusing on its economical advantages – environment friendly products can be easily promoted as low-priced solutions yet with same effectiveness. For instance power saving lighting fixtures and water saving faucets should be seriously implemented through national housing projects and will save a great deal of energy and a vital natural resource such as water. Solutions concerning window treatments will prevent heat exchange between interior and exterior environments thus indirectly saving energy consumption required for warming up or cooling surroundings.

Environmentally Certified products including electrical fixtures, window treatments, paints, plumbing valves, flush valves and water piping systems should be strictly applied through local building codes.

The adoption of the recycling concept can barely be seen due to a missing recycling industry. The product cycle and the benefits are not clearly apparent among ordinary individuals and daily consumers; again because of absent media material.

Ecological awareness has to be presented to our kids in schools at early ages in form of solutions and personally-affecting benefits. Media should focus on economical advantages simply touching everyday consumer in case of using eco-certified labeled products. Also introducing a green product as a healthier and more hygienic solution could be another aspect. Finally governments have to add on environmentally certified fixtures as essentials within building codes.

Mohamed M. Khalifa: an interior designer and founder of Flair Egypt; an interior design, decor and planning practice. Flair provides innovative design solutions and fine contracting services for residential, commercial, office and hospitality projects. More info and free consultation available at http://www.flair-egypt.com or send an email to m.khalifa@flair-egypt.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mohamed_M._Khalifa

There is a high consumer demand for green products that are environmentally friendly, durable, affordable and attractive. When given the choice of using high quality, ecologically friendly building materials over traditional products, consumers are overwhelmingly choosing products of a sustainable and environmentally conscious variety.

In general, the public is becoming more and more aware of the rapid decrease and reduction of hardwood forests and the threat that deforestation can pose to a delicate ecosystem. Bamboo flooring is a great choice for those who wish to not contribute to destruction of such an integral part of our global ecology. It is termite, rot and moisture resistant and functions as a top-notch flooring material.

There are many types of bamboo flooring available for to suit each homeowner’s unique style. Distressed bamboo floors have an antique look. Strand woven bamboo has a hybrid grain between wood and bamboo and is extra resilient. Laminate bamboo flooring is ideal for rooms with varying humidity, like a basement.

A bamboo field can produce up to 30% more oxygen than a hardwood forest of similar size, while removing toxins from the soil and preventing erosion. It also helps reduce the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Because bamboo is a type of grass, it can regenerate itself without replanting after harvesting. Since it is the fastest growing plant on earth, bamboo is quickly becoming a popular source for efficient and sustainable building materials.

Bamboo has a wide root system, making it a natural water control blockade. It reduces rain runoff, thereby preventing erosion. Bamboo can store water within its shoots and, because of its nitrogen consumption, can prevent water pollution. Often times, bamboo will be grown near wastewater from livestock farms and sewage treatment facilities because of its cleansing and detoxifying properties.

Traditional hardwood forest lumber such as maple, birch and oak take almost 50 years to be renewed. That, in turn, causes less oxygen to be produced, less greenhouse gases to be consumed, and more erosion and runoff in the cleared land. Instead of depleting our natural resources and contributing to a failing ecosystem, choose bamboo. It is the logical and environmentally friendly choice for flooring in a modern home.

Mr. Oliver is a marketing agent of Better Green Technologies. The energy efficient builder provides quality eco-friendly building materials and supplies to customers throughout the United States. For more information on their Energy Efficient Building Products please visit their website.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Budda_Oliver

Window treatments, available in a great many styles, including those we are discussing here, can help control light and heat from entering or exiting a room. There are three main types of environmentally friendly blackout or sleep window shades, light filtering roller shades, and solar window shades. These can be functional or decorative, or both.

Blackout, or sleep window shades are made of thicker fabric or vinyl coated materials or they are made of wood. Wood roller shades offer the greatest insulation and moisture control, and cost the most. The lightweight vinyl coated fabric window shades that are dark are also used for blackout window shades. The roller shades can be adjusted to allow any amount of light into a room, or to fully darken the room for sleeping. They are great for night shift workers, the elderly, and children, who all need to have darkened rooms for better sleep conditions.

The light filtering roller shades are translucent, allowing light into a room, and many are very light colored or decorator fabrics. These provide privacy and light control, but do not darken the room. They fit well into many decorator schemes, and make rooms look lighter and friendlier.

Solar window shades are precision screen window shades, which are light controlling, yet you can see the outdoors view through them, as with regular screening materials. They cut glare, and give some privacy, but do not eliminate the view as the other two styles do.

All the window shades can fit inside the window frame or outside it, depending on how much light control the homeowner desires, and what fits best with room decor. All have a steel headrail system for valence and to hide the workings of the shade. Slats generally are two inches deep, although some are only one inch deep. For deep window frames, mounting inside the frame is recommended. Slats are very thin, about an eighth inch thick. They can close tightly and provide insulation and full light control when closed.

The ecologically minded homeowners can use roller shades to save money and cut electrical bills. Adjusting the slats to allow bounce lighting is one way to multiply the amount of light entering a room. You can set the slats to reflect light either up against the wall or down on the flooring. Light colored ceilings multiply the light, sending rays around the rest of the room. This means you do not have to run electrical lighting as much during the darker hours of the day.

Using roller shades to keep hot sunlight out of a room can reduce air conditioning costs. Direct sunrays can heat up a room to over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and actually can be used for passive heat in the winter, which is good. That is a time to have the window shades up and let that sunshine into the room. But, in summer heat, keep rooms cooler with your roller shades down.

The modern roller shades have advanced technology for the mechanisms used to raise and lower the window shades, so the homeowner does have better control for setting the level of the window shades, and it is easier to use. Some heavier wood roller shades even have motorization lift systems. All around, using roller shades fits right into an ecologically minded lifestyle very nicely.

Judith Persit is a featured speaker of interior design in a large school. She began in this project after a hunt for design choices in window treatments. Ms. Persit writes regarding roller shades. Roller shades can be interesting, you can learn more about window shades at her website with many design ideas.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Judith_Persit

In practical terms our goal should be to move away from designs that depend on an extensive use of energy, without asking people to give up their lawns entirely. There are a number of options:

* Buffer zones and open space requirements in subdivisions allow for wildlife corridors and bird habitats.

* Leaving a portion of each lot in a natural state will invite birds and beneficial insects into the yard, while reducing the amount of grass to water and mow.

* The use of native plants in the design will greatly reduce the amount of care needed for the plants to thrive.

We should stop worrying about whether our lawns looks like the eighteenth fairway of the local country club. Many of the “weeds” that appear in our lawns are considered to be medicinal, by herbalists, and others attract beneficial insects.

We should stop over watering our lawns. Don’t worry about your grass dying. Grass will turn green when it rains. Trust me.

If you must have an all grass lawn, there are organic methods that claim to do as well as chemicals will. It’s probably a good idea to test any remedy before applying it to your entire yard. Spot treating problem areas will often be all that is needed.

Ecological Landscaping Considerations

The first and most important thing to consider in an ecological landscape design is an environmental assessment of the site. Is it more like a sunny meadow or shady woodland? Is it wet and marshy or dry and well drained?

Secondly, find out which native plants thrive in your particular environment. This can be easily done by taking a closer look at what is growing in undeveloped areas around you. Look at areas that most closely resemble your site. Species that are flourishing in the wild in similar ecosystems nearby are more likely to do well, with little or no care, than species growing in different ecosystems, not to mention different regions of the country or world.

Some purists would argue that only native species be considered, but I personally feel that non-invasive species from other parts of the world are acceptable if used in the proper environmental setting. Whenever possible choose species that are propagated locally and select varieties that are disease, pest and drought resistant. This will preclude the need for intensive care and excessive watering.

Many native plants are often found growing as part of a larger community of plants. For reasons we don’t thoroughly understand, plants appear to form symbiotic relationships with each other. This may be for shade, nutrient contribution or protection from pests to name a few. When studying the local landscape, pay attention to plant relationships. In the wild, vegetation occurs in layers from groundcovers to taller plants and shrubs and often to a tree canopy above. These layers provide a diverse habitat for a variety of wildlife. Recreating these conditions in even a small part of your site will help to enhance the overall health of the environment around you.

In many instances homeowners will wish to deter certain wildlife species, while attracting others. While it may be possible to discern which plants attract different species in the wild, it may not be as easy to determine which plants will deter them. Local landscapers and plant nurseries will often be able to advise you about this.

Wherever you live and whatever your landscape consists of, a little thought about working with the natural environment and a commitment to organic lawn care practices, will save on maintenance cost and benefit the larger community landscape.

Chip Phelan, a contributing editor for Organic Gardening Review, is an organic gardener living in Rhode Island. He has been gardening organically for 30 years while working as a sculptor and photo imager. He has recently created a research garden to experiment with organic and small scale sustainable gardening techniques.

Organic Gardening Review is a resource center for organic gardening enthusiasts and features his efforts and interests in all aspects of organic gardening. Find us on the web: http://www.organicgardening-review.com [http://organicgardening-review.com]

Looking for a place to share organic gardening info? Visit our Organic Gardening Discussion Forum at: Organic Gardening Forum

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chip_Phelan

But it is not just about saving money. We all have been too reckless about using nature’s resources. We have to consider several factors here. We cannot take from nature without a limit. Unfortunately, the natural resources are not bottomless – the oil and coal will come to an end some time in the future.

Much have been done during the recent years to tackle the problems, new technologies are being developed, ecological heating systems devised, alternative transportation solutions found. Nothing of it will prove worthwhile unless the consumer shows a motivation to go out and start using the new technology.

Grow your Own Fuel

Let’s see what ecological heating options are available in the current market? The most obvious choice is pellets and other types of biomass. Here we talk about corn stoves, wood pellet burners and straw burners. With wood pellets it depends on how are the pellets produced – if the factory specializes in just producing them, you cannot call it ecological heating. The only way pellets worked for environment would be that they were made from by-products (saw-dust) at a joinery. Dedicated factories just produce extra CO2 making it even worse for environment.

Corn stoves are the most affordable way to ecological heating. They burn shelled corn which is nothing more than maize seeds. In the process of growth corn plants consume CO2 from the air and when burnt they release less CO2 than they’ve consumed, thus making environment cleaner. Corn stoves are usually priced from $800 to $2000 and pay off within the first or second year of using (compared with fossil fuel burners).

Living in a Cave?

Sod houses is another way to cut consumption big time. Sod is not meant as an insult, it means a house which has the majority of its body (including the roof) covered in soil. Some people achieve similar result by building their houses into a hill side. Soil provides perfect insulation during winter and great cooling during summer. Coupled with solar panels on the roof, a sod house can make you almost independent from energy suppliers.

Heat from Down Below

Another popular yet expensive way to heat your house is to use heat pumps, scientifically known as ground source heat pumps. It uses an idea that the earth accumulates loads of ambient energy (from the sun and from its hot core). It works almost like a refrigerator by accumulating the scarce heat that there is down the earth under your house. Using a series of pressure cycles, it can put up to 60 degrees Celsius into your heating system. It is expensive to install but saves you up to 70% off your fuel bill. It means that you still need an alternative source of heating but you can offset the installation costs in 10 years time.

Although some eco-designs are expensive, the truth is that sooner or later they do pay off. So, calling green energy “too expensive to be afforded” is actually wrong. You can save money in the long run and save the planet for the next generations.

Have you considered saving money by installing a green heating system? The easiest way to get your foot on the eco-ladder is to choose one of the Corn Stoves available. It will provide heat for your house and put a stop on being dependent on fossil fuel supply. Are you ready to take that step?

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Terence_Green